By Missy Ward-Angalla

Thirteen years ago, I felt God’s calling to move to Uganda to start the first shelter for refugee women. At the time, I was serving as an English teacher at the Center of Hope, a ministry founded and directed by CBF Field Personnel, Jade and Shelah Acker.  

One of my students came to me one day with tears in her eyes and asked for my help. She needed a safe place to sleep. She was a young Rwandese refugee who had experienced high levels of trauma, no skills and no knowledge of the local languages spoken. While looking for organizations to refer her to, my eyes were open to the huge gap in services for the most vulnerable refugee women and children.  
 
Thirteen years ago, this calling met my heart’s deep passion to start a holistic aftercare program for survivors of gender-based violence who needed a safe place to heal.  
 
Over the last 10 years, our shelter ministry has served over 200 women and children. It is incredible to see the power of God’s love to heal and transform the lives of these women and children who have passed through the shelter program.  
 
Every day I am inspired by the incredible resilience and courage of our shelter residents and graduates. Janti is one of the amazing women who has recently lived in our shelter program. Janti and her two brothers lost their parents at an early age. They never attended school. They came to Uganda as refugees from Burundi. They were seeking a new beginning. 
 
In Kampala, Janti desperately tried to find work but she faced many barriers- She had no education, no knowledge of the local languages and no tangible vocational skills. Women in these kinds of situations are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. When Janti finally found work, she was paid less than $2 per day and it was unsafe. One day while at work, she was assaulted. A month later, she realized that she was pregnant.  

Janti arrived at Amani Sasa when she was six months pregnant. She had not yet been to the hospital for prenatal care. We were able to invite Janti into our women’s shelter. There she found a community that loved her and understood what she was going through.  
 
At the shelter, Janti had access to the nutritious meals, prenatal medical care and vitamins. Janti had a chance to receive therapy and counseling to heal from the traumas that she had been carrying for years. Finally, she received skills training and learned that she really loved making baskets. 
 
Janti gave birth at a hospital where an Amani Sasa social worker stayed by her side during labor and delivery. But when she realized that her son had cleft feet like her, she felt overwhelmed and began to cry.  She is limited in her movement and what she can do because of this condition. The doctor said, “This condition is correctable.”  
 
Amani Sasa helped them gain access to a specialized hospital where the baby is undergoing therapy to correct the condition, which will enable him to walk, play and grow into his full potential. 
 
Now Janti has hope. She has experienced significant healing and transformation. When Janti arrived at the shelter, she doubted God. At graduation she stood with a big smile and shared, “Today I know God exists. God loves me and has a plan for my life. I have seen the great work of the Lord. God brought me to Amani Sasa.” She continues to come each day for basket training. She now has skills to support her and her family.  

Janti is why our ministry, Amani Sasa, exists. There are many women like Janti who arrive and are vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and trafficking. Amani Sasa intervenes to provide a safe place for survivors to heal and prevent this violence. These women deserve to be safe and treated with dignity.  

Missy Ward-Angalla serves as Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Field Personnel in Kampala, Uganda. Missy and her husband Francis serve as the co-founders and Directors of Amani Sasa. Together, they minister and co-lead alongside of a team of 38 East African staff. Click here to learn more about her ministry.